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| Catalyst | 
| Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Puffin
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $7.98 (100%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  106 reviews
Sales Rank: 56219
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 0142400017
EAN: 9780142400012
ASIN: 0142400017
Publication Date: September 15, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Thanks for choosing the Atlanta Book Company!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Mixed feelings on this one June 18, 2008
I recently discovered Laurie Halse Anderson in the YA section of my library and am in the process of reading all her books. Catalyst is probably my least favorite so far, although it's not a bad read at all. Since other reviewers have outlined the plot details so well, I'll limit my comments to what I chiefly disliked about this story, the way the subject of bullying is handled. Teri, the bully in question, treats Kate rudely, steals from her, and responds with ingratitude to the charity extended to her by Kate's family. Kate mentions to her pastor father more than once that Teri has stolen a couple of her treasured items and dad does nothing. Kate also mentions in her narration that Teri beat her up daily in elementary school. Apparently the school authorities were the do-nothing type as well. At my son's school kids are taught how to respond to bullying on their own but, if these efforts fail them, to call on an adult for help. In the book Kate's father is portrayed as being very involved with his parishioners but rather distant from his own children, so I supposed his passive response to Teri's behavior is consistent with the character. But it still bothered me that Kate's dad would not stick up for her. In fact, toward the end of the book when one of Kate's friends finally calls Teri on her behavior he is labeled as being "disrespectful." A disturbing message IMO. I believe the author intended for Teri to garner our sympathy but she just doesn't. At least not with me.
Anderson, as in her other books, displays her usual fine ability to get inside the skin of a young person. She really makes you feel Kate's desperation to get into MIT and her subsequent devastation when she doesn't. But if I were discussing this book with teen readers I would definitely handle the bullying aspect and make the point that, just because someone has been abused, he/she should not be allowed to abuse others without consequences.
Starts great, but then... December 8, 2007
Like many others, I was interested in "Catalyst" because it's written by the same YA author as the fantastic "Speak." And I really liked the early parts of "Catalyst. In fact, I could hardly put the book down at first. In the beginning of the book, Laurie Halse Anderson is once again in top form, creating a completely believable, intriguing narrator with obsessive perfectionist high school senior Kate Malone.
I also enjoyed the direction the book seemed to be taking early on. It was clear something momentous was going to snowball its way into Kate's perfectly controlled existence and change her forever. I read on eagerly as she grew more and more stressed out, was devastated by her rejection letter from MIT, and had her home life completely disrupted.
However. When the Big Momentous Climax finally occurred? Huge diappointment. I won't spoil the book by saying what it is; suffice it to say it's a weak ploy obviously attempting to tug at the reader's heartstrings. I'll be honest, it didn't effectively tug at mine at all. Now if the Big Momentous Thing had actually happened to *Kate*, the main character I'd grown interested in, then I might have cared. Unfortunately, by that point Kate had been pushed aside and relegated to the dull position of bystander. A shame, because the book really did start out well.
 Comes at you like Teri's sledgehammer October 31, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Apparently some readers have trouble relating to Kate and/or Teri. I did not. I love them both. Could not put the book down and read until 2 am, then lay awake after that. Don't know why some readers got bored. I found it pretty savage.
Maybe it's because I was a nerdy, have-to-get-into-the-right-college, type A teen myself. It took a long time to understand the lessons Kate learns.
Good but not great October 3, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson is a sequel/companion to Speak. It's set one year after the events of Speak. This novel is narrated by Kate Malone: straight-A senior, science and math whiz, and daughter of the local reverend. Kate's also a great runner, which is good because Kate's been running from a lot of things:
Kate has been the family caretaker since her mother died. She hasn't been sleeping as she waits to hear from her dream college (she runs instead). And now Teri Litch, Kate's nemesis, and Terry's little brother are living with the Malones. Kate tries to ignore all of these problems by running and keeping her head in the sand. Besides, things couldn't get any worse. Until they do.
You'll have to read the book to figure out what happens next because I don't do spoiler reviews.
So now we can talk about the book in technical terms: The book is broken up into elements (solid, liquid, gas) and features quotes from an AP Chem prep book. Most of them are straightforward enough to be understandable and relate to the story. Kate also makes use of scientific elements for her narration without being overly scientific (AKA confusing/boring).
I greatly admire Laurie Halse Anderson. She's a great writer and she never comes off as smug or pompous in her interviews at the back of her books. Even better, Anderson is a fresh voice.
That said, the voice here was not as fresh as it was in Speak. In other words, Kate's narration sounds a lot like Melinda even though they are completely different characters. That bothered me. I like that Anderson's prose is so snappy and often sarcastic, but it was weird having two disparate characters narrate in almost the same voice. Given the connection between these two books, I suppose comparisons are inevitable so I'll finish the thought: Melinda is a more likable narrator than Kate. That makes a difference.
Ironically, the increased dialogue in this book (Melinda does not talk throughout most of hers) doesn't make the characters more developed. The minor characters, particularly Sara and Travis, remain flat: developed enough to be quirky but not present enough to be memorable. This might be because Kate's social circle is larger, giving Anderson more characters to fit into the narrative.
The other thing to bear in mind about Catalyst is that it is not the same kind of book as Speak. Kate's path throughout the narrative, and her way through her problems, is very different than Melinda's. (If you haven't guessed yet, Kate's path involves a lot of running.) This book also has a different appeal. Speak seemed more universal, the scope for Catalyst is more narrow. Anderson does a great job of capturing the anxiety and drama that surrounds the college application/acceptance process. She also creates a compelling study of the silent, overachiever that seems to be at every high school. More importantly, Anderson shows that those achievements don't always come without a cost.
Overall, Catalyst is a good book. I enjoyed it and I would recommend it. But Speak was a great book that was, overall, more powerful than its sequel.
A Wonderfully Written Book January 22, 2007
Kate Malone, a senior in high school, is a science and math geek waiting to hear from the only college she applied to: MIT. On top of balancing school and a social life, Kate has been caring for her family since her mother's death nine years earlier. Kate thinks she can handle anything, but then her neighbors' house burns down. Teri Litch, a tough girl who lives for trouble, and her little brother, Mikey, move in with the Malones. Kate and Teri are enemy's and cannot find away to get along. At school they ignore each other and at home they always argue. Kate's father, the local minister, organizes a group to help rebuild the Litch house. On day, when the house is about half way completed, everyone is sitting outside eating lunch. Kate and Teri, who are supposed to be watching Mikey, turn their heads for only a minute and Mikey disappears. Soon after, he is found upstairs in the unfinished house electrocuted and dead. This horrific event saddens the community, but brings Teri and Kate closer together. Mikey's death also leads to the unveiling of a shocking family secret. Catalyst, the wonderfully written book by Laurie Halse Anderson, will keep a person reading for until the very last page. I found this book hard to put down. The characters were very realistic and the book was very contemporary, confronting many issues of today's lifestyle. I would recommend any teen into realistic fiction read this book.
This book is definitely a page turner. Once I began reading, I couldn't stop. Every chapter leaves the reader hanging and wanting to know more. Will Kate get into MIT? Will Teri and Kate get along? What is the Litch's huge secret? These are all questions that will keep the reader engrossed and longing for more.
The multi-dimensional characters make this book very interesting. The reader gets an insight into both of the main character's minds and lives. Anderson does a great job describing the characters and making them seem real. Because Teri and Kate are complete opposites, the reader gets to see all the events that take place in different points of view. Because the characters all seem so life like, the story seems truer.
Many issues of today's teens are brought to light in this book. First, there are moral issues. Kate usually tries to do the right thing, such as be nice and obey her father. Teri, on the other hand, could care less about what's right and what's wrong. She is mean to everyone, ungrateful to the Malones for taking her in, and skips school. When forced to live in the same house, Teri and Kate must work to create a balance between them and also end up learning from one another and growing as people. This book also briefly touches on the issue of religion. Kate's father is a minister, yet Kate refuses to believe a thing he preaches. Because of the topics brought up in this book, the life of an average teenager is well illustrated. Catalyst is a book that I think every teen could learn from. Once begun reading, this book will be hard to put down. I recommend all teens read Catalyst.
S. Leser
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